City Council members devoted extended discussion time to possible interior and seating upgrades at the Corn Palace, the community’s marquee event venue, as they weigh design costs, accessibility and revenue opportunities.

Council members and staff said the building needs interior improvements beyond ongoing maintenance such as boiler and freight-elevator repairs. Council member Susan (last name not specified) asked that architect Shemer bring a proposed agreement, designs and cost estimates to the Jan. 21 meeting so the public can see options and the council can consider sponsorships and funding. Several council members recalled previous schematic designs prepared before COVID and said the new work should not simply repackage earlier concepts without updated cost estimates and feasibility checks.

Discussion highlights and staff detail:
- Design scope: Shemer’s role would be to prepare biddable design documents that address ADA-compliant handrails, clearer circulation and wheelchair-accessible viewing platforms. Staff said some elements already proposed in prior schematic work would require a full design phase to be implemented.
- Seating options: Staff gave three illustrative seating options: (1) direct seat replacement with similar dimensions; (2) wider seats with more legroom and improved aisle access and handrails; (3) larger premium seats in selected front sections. Staff estimated seating procurement and related work would range roughly from $435,000 to $472,000 for seat units alone, with the full package (including handrails and accessibility work) bringing the total under $600,000 in the scenarios presented. Staff said a national Sourcewell cooperative contract could reduce prices by 3–8 percent compared with fresh competitive bidding and could shorten procurement timelines.
- Manufacturer and architect recommendations: Jeff Logan, an audience member with prior theater-architecture experience, recommended soliciting bids from multiple stadium/theater seating manufacturers (he specifically referenced Erwin and Hussey) and hiring an architect experienced in arenas/theaters rather than a generalist. Council members asked staff to get additional vendor samples and, where possible, visit nearby installations.
- Operational and timeline notes: Staff said the seat manufacturer quoted a 22-week lead time for chairs and 3–5 weeks for installation; Council members cautioned that delaying a decision more than about a month could push deliveries past the busy events season.

Council discussion also included options to repurpose or sell the removed seats (some longtime patrons want to keep or buy seats they used for years), the potential to create VIP areas, and whether to relocate the gift shop off the main floor to increase event flexibility. Several council members endorsed moving forward with additional samples and a design scope and directed staff to return costed options at the next meeting window to avoid losing an installation window for the upcoming season.

Quotes (from meeting):
"If you keep doing the same thing over and over you're gonna keep getting the same thing over and over," Mayor (no full name given) said about revisiting prior schematic plans.
"We need to make this improvement. This is the icon of our community," Council member Susan said, urging a renewed push for Corn Palace investment.
Jeff Logan, a local consultant, urged: "I would really urge that we hire an architect who specializes in arenas, stadiums, theaters—there is a big difference."